Help with ATV2 and accessing hard drive using Airport Extreme?

[thorpey0]

Hi,

I have a jailbroken ATV2 and I have just got hold of a 3rd gen airport extreme. I am hoping to access all my movies and music via a hard drive plugged into the extreme, as I do not want to have to keep switching my macbook on to access those files.

I have searched and searched but I cannot find any step by step process , can anyone help?

Thanks

 

[Pyromonkey83]

The Airport Extreme does not support HomeSharing which is required for the Apple TV. This cannot work without a PC or Mac running iTunes and linked to the network drive. Also, the Mac or PC must obviously be turned on.

 

[thorpey0]

What about through xbmc? Can I access the hard drive over the network? I think that works having googled around but not sure how I set it up.

Thanks

 

[Pyromonkey83]

As far as I know Xbmc will work but I have never used the program, someone with more experience will have to help you with this one.

 

[thorpey0]

Can anyone offer any advice on how to set up my airport extreme with XBMC? To be honest I don't have a scooby....!

all the best,

Jay

 

[Mr-Kerrse]

I have access on my apple tv to my backup hard drive via airport extreme without my mac being on.

My apple tv in wired to my adsl router, my backup drive is wired to my airport extreme which is wired to my adsl router.

Works fine

----------

The Airport Extreme does not support HomeSharing which is required for the Apple TV. This cannot work without a PC or Mac running iTunes and linked to the network drive. Also, the Mac or PC must obviously be turned on.

he did say jailbroken so he doesn't need iTunes

 

[dickovski]

I have access on my apple tv to my backup hard drive via airport extreme without my mac being on.

My apple tv in wired to my adsl router, my backup drive is wired to my airport extreme which is wired to my adsl router.

Works fine :cool

I have the exact same setup and can also confirm it works fine.

 

[thorpey0]

I have the exact same setup and can also confirm it works fine.

I have now set my apple tv and airport extreme up as you have. Both wired to router.

How do I then access my files? Do I use XBMC, do I need to change any settings.... Noob, sorry!

 

[nickosbad]

I have access on my apple tv to my backup hard drive via airport extreme without my mac being on.

My apple tv in wired to my adsl router, my backup drive is wired to my airport extreme which is wired to my adsl router.

Works fine

----------




he did say jailbroken so he doesn't need iTunes

Is your Apple TV Jailbroken though??

I currently have ATV3-----Router--wirelessly--iMac----Hdd

I control the movies on my ATV3 using the Remote App

So with an Airport Extreme could I go ATV3-----Router----APXTReme---NAS

thereby excluding the iMac??

 

[wknapp0924]

with a JB ATV2 and your external hd needs to be shared obviously you need to goto Videos, Add a file, and then add the directory of your airport extreme.

It will look something like this.

smb://your wifi exact name:thewifipassword@theipaddress of airport extreme

Mine looks like this

smb://mywifiassword@10.0.1.1

 

[Mr-Kerrse]

with a JB ATV2 and your external hd needs to be shared obviously you need to goto Videos, Add a file, and then add the directory of your airport extreme.

It will look something like this.

smb://your wifi exact name:thewifipassword@theipaddress of airport extreme

Mine looks like this

smb://mywifiassword@10.0.1.1

Yes mine is jailbroken but i have atv flash on mine so set up different to the above.

It is very easy just search devices in shares on the atv2 set up the drive as a share, job done.

As far as i am aware with a 3 you would need itunes running on your nas ?

 

[thorpey0]

I have now set my apple tv and airport extreme up as you have. Both wired to router.

How do I then access my files? Do I use XBMC, do I need to change any settings.... Noob, sorry!

My Apple TV2 is jailbroken, I still cannot see the AirPort Extreme though in Videos, files of xbmc...

 

[jay47]

Open xbmc , select videos . Then select files . Select Add videos . In the new Add video sources window click the browse button . Scroll down to Windows network (SMB) . Select workgroup . You should now see your airport extreme . When you select airport extreme you will see your attached hard drive .

Scroll down & select the folder where the videos are stored . Then hit the left arrow button on the remote & select OK. You will be returned to the Add video source window . Select OK again . A new window will open asking to select content , you can ignore this window & select cancel. You will now see your hard drive connected to the airport as a new menu option .

Scroll to the folder the videos are stored & select the video you want to watch . Whenever you want to access the drive thru xbmc from now on you just select files then your hard drives name .

 

[thorpey0]

Hi,

Well I finally have a bit of free time a few months on and thought I might try this again!

I still cannot access my hard drive through my apple TV.

I have the following:

Apple TV Jailbroken with XBMC.
Apple TV is linked with ethernet cable to Airport Extreme.
Airport Extreme has my hard drive with films on plugged into it.

I go to: XBMC - Videos - Files - Add Videos... - Browse - Windows Network(SMB) -

I then get an error code: Error 2: share not available.

I tried to 'add network location' but I am not sure I have my setup right? Could some kind person talk me through the set up on airport utility as I am guessing I have it wrong some how?

Many thanks in advance.

Jay

 

[hafr]

To be honest, I think ATV Flash (black) might be a better fit for you I use it, not because I can't get XBMC to work but because it's just too much hassle...

Just make sure the drive is shared (AirPort Utility in your computer) and accessible...

But in XBMC, why don't you try using AFP (they used to call it Zeroconf, don't know if they've switched names in the settings) instead of SMB? AFP is for Apple, SMB for Windows

 

[thorpey0]

Thanks for the reply.

I just tried AFP for that very reason, guessing that using the apple rather than windows setting might work a tad better ;-) It doesn't!

I have sharing enabled on airport utility, I am using 'with a disc password', is that right?

Also when I am entering the information to add a network location I put in the server name as my IP address of my airport extreme, shared folder I am putting MEDIA in (the name on my hard disk as shown in airport utility).

BUT I am putting nothing for 'username' as I don't know there is one. Password - I am putting in the password that I typed into airport utility.

Thanks for your help.

 

[hafr]

Thanks for the reply.

I just tried AFP for that very reason, guessing that using the apple rather than windows setting might work a tad better ;-) It doesn't!

I have sharing enabled on airport utility, I am using 'with a disc password', is that right?

Also when I am entering the information to add a network location I put in the server name as my IP address of my airport extreme, shared folder I am putting MEDIA in (the name on my hard disk as shown in airport utility).

BUT I am putting nothing for 'username' as I don't know there is one. Password - I am putting in the password that I typed into airport utility.

Thanks for your help.

I think that when I set it up, I simply used afp://Usernameonthecomputeriskpassword@InternalIPfortheAirportExtreme/NameOfDrive/FolderName

Check out the guides here, these guys know what they're talking about and they're used to helping out http://forum.xbmc.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=137

 

[thorpey0]

I had a good read on xbmc forums and I have some progress!

I was running the latest version of airport utility which was missing some disk settings compared to AU 5.6. I rolled back to that version and ticked 'guest disk access'.

When I go into Zeroconf Browser I can see a folder with the name of my APExtreme, I click and see the name of my drive, Click that and I see the folder containing my films....

But when I click that I get nothing. Not only that but every time I go in it won't let me go back to the first menu and freezes making me turn my ATV off!

Frustrating as I though I had it!!

 

[hafr]

I had a good read on xbmc forums and I have some progress!

I was running the latest version of airport utility which was missing some disk settings compared to AU 5.6. I rolled back to that version and ticked 'guest disk access'.

When I go into Zeroconf Browser I can see a folder with the name of my APExtreme, I click and see the name of my drive, Click that and I see the folder containing my films....

But when I click that I get nothing. Not only that but every time I go in it won't let me go back to the first menu and freezes making me turn my ATV off!

Frustrating as I though I had it!!

I know the feeling of frustration when computers seem to just be in a bad mood and give you the silent treatment

I can't help you, but my advice would be to create an account on their forum and describe the problem to them. Hopefully you'll get it to work soon

 

[thorpey0]

I know the feeling of frustration when computers seem to just be in a bad mood and give you the silent treatment

I can't help you, but my advice would be to create an account on their forum and describe the problem to them. Hopefully you'll get it to work soon

I did as advised and posted this problem on the XBMC website a few days ago but I have not had any response. As everyone on here is so helpful I thought I would bump it up to see if anyone else has any ideas.....

All the best,

 

[5thSymphony]

Hi Jay,
yes sometimes:
ATV + movies on external drive = frustration

I'm here just to give you an alternative.
I don't use the Apple back end like you.
I am on Microsoft environement.
But it all comes down to being able to "see" your files.
At home I use an old PC running WinXP to share all my multimedia.
XP works better with drive less than 2TB.
In your position, I would buy an old PC (50$) and hook up your ExDrive to it.
If your movies are all MP4, M4V format then you can have iTunes running on that PC so you can watch them on all you idevices.
If on the other hands, if you have a lot of AVI & MKV, then, XBMC, and the other media players would easily "see" your files on the share drive.

Installing a Plex server would be great idea as it can be compatible with the ATV's Plex app and also iPhone/iPad apps too.
(http://wiki.plexapp.com/index.php/Apple_TV_Plex_Client_Install)

So just giving you alrernatives if your setup doesn't work.
I had a few frustrations of my own as I am the happy owner of ATV 1 & 2 both jailbroken.

Best of luck.
J.

 

[enigma2118]

Old thread, I know, but if someone lands here looking for the answer, look at Infuse. It is part of Firecore's ATV Flash.